Summer Reading Programs Just Around the Corner

Summer Reading Programs for Children and Teens begin July 6 at the Dover Public Library

“Make a Splash…Read” is the theme for this year’s Children’s Summer Reading Program. This five-week reading adventure is for children ages 5-12 and will begin on Tuesday, July 6 and continue through Tuesday, August 10. The program is designed to encourage children to make reading an enjoyable part of their summer activities.

Sign-ups begin on Tuesday, July 6 and continue throughout the summer for Dover Public Library cardholders (including non-resident borrowers). Children must come to the library in person to register and to receive their personal booklet or reading log in which to record the books/minutes they read. All participants will also receive a book bag, a bookmark, and a voucher for a free ticket to a Portland Seadogs baseball game!

During the summer program, children are invited to make a new craft each week at our “Make-it, Take-it” Craft Table. The table will be available for creating projects all day, every day during the five weeks. Children will bring in their booklets or reading logs (after recording books/minutes read) to earn stickers and prizes.

The library’s Monday Matinees will feature free first-run movies in the Lecture Hall every Monday afternoon at 2pm beginning on July 12. Here is the line-up:
· The Lightning Thief, July 12, rated PG.
· Garfield’s Pet Force, July 19, not rated.
· Space Buddies, July 26, rated G.
· Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie, Aug. 2, rated PG.
· Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Aug. 9, rated PG.
Everyone is welcome! Feel free to bring your own refreshments!

Participants are also invited to sign up for a “Paws for Reading” session. Goldie, a Certified Therapy Dog, and her handler, Karen, will be in the Children’s Room on Saturday, July 10 from 10:30-11:30am, Tuesday, July 20 from 6:30-7:30pm, and Saturday, August 7 from 10:30-11:30am. Goldie loves a good story but needs someone to read it to her! If interested in helping Goldie and practicing reading aloud, sign up for a 15 minute reading session during one of these times (and don’t forget to cross off 15 minutes on your reading log or record the book you’ve read to Goldie in your reading folder!).

Also, all participants and their families are invited to “Make a Splash” at our final celebration. The Summer Readers’ Party will be held on the library lawn on Wednesday, August 11 at 10:30am. After refreshments, children's entertainer Tom Stankus (or T-Bone to his audiences) will have everyone clapping, dancing and singing to his music. “I love making people happy, especially children,” says T-Bone, “and it is particularly satisfying when my audiences feel that they are the most important part of the show--which they are.”

The Teen Summer Reading Program theme is “Make Waves at Your Library” and also runs from July 6 to August 10. For every two hours of reading completed, participants will be given a raffle ticket—and will get to choose which prize to put in for. Lots of great prizes will be offered throughout the five-week program—including gift certificates to local business, fun-pack gift bags, iTunes gift certificates, and much more.

You choose what to read—novels, magazines, graphic novels, comic books, nonfiction—whatever you might enjoy.

Middle school readers are eligible participate in both the Children’s Program and the Teen Program. Drop by the library’s reference desk to sign up for the “Make Waves” Teen Program, visit online at http://library.dover.nh.gov, or call 516-6082. Come in person to the Children’s Room to sign up for “Make a Splash…Read” or call 516-6052. Don’t miss all the fun! Plus, it’s a proven fact: kids who keep reading over the summer do better in school in the fall!